Published: September 15, 2010

Preventing the 5 Most Serious, Life-Threatening Diseases

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BOCA RATON, Fla. - (BUSINESS WIRE) - People are suffering for no reason with dangerous diseases that can be delayed or prevented entirely. There are five very serious diseases that can be prevented with the help of your primary care physician. MDVIP, the leader in the healthcare prevention model, is a group of affiliated primary care physicians who practice preventive and personalized medicine. Each MDVIP doctor extensively screens for health risk factors that can help prevent disease from occurring.

MDVIP primary care physician and medical spokesperson, Dr. Jorge Rodriguez, says, "The crime in our country is that we are very literally killing ourselves. Preventing some of the most common diseases is achievable and we need to be more vigilant about it."

The 5 most serious life-threatening diseases that can be prevented are:

1. Coronary Artery Disease, hypertension, high cholesterol, stroke-Coronary artery disease is the number one killer of people in the United States and it is preventable. Stroke is the third leading killer of people in this country. There are three very important elements to the prevention of coronary artery diseases: nutrition, exercise and avoiding tobacco. By controlling your blood pressure you markedly decrease your chance of coronary artery disease and stroke. By controlling your fat intake and your weight you also decrease your risk of hypertension, heart disease and stroke. Like it or not, it all comes down to having a healthy weight. Having normal blood pressure and cholesterol usually follow. It is essential to have an annual physical exam during which the doctor can check blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Careful monitoring by your primary care physician is critical along with a well laid out health and wellness plan can help set a patient on the right course.

2. Respiratory Diseases-Diseases such as chronic bronchitis, emphysema, some asthmas and COPD are preventable. Those who smoke are at the highest risk for respiratory illnesses. Some types of asthma result from manmade situations and can be avoided. Unsafe working and living conditions also can contribute to these diseases, including mold, pollen, dust mites, cockroaches and animal dander. Many patients have no idea that asthma symptoms can also come from food allergies like nuts, additives, certain sweets and dairy products. Careful testing and discussion with your primary care doctor can help to avoid an expensive trip to the local emergency room.

3. Obesity-2/3 of the American population is overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and 1/3 of American children are obese. Eating habits in this country are out of control and are promoted by a high-speed lifestyle with fast food available at every turn. Losing 10 percent of one's body weight can help ward off the diseases that come from being obese including diabetes, heart disease and even some cancers. A doctor who knows his patients well can offer recommendations on how to work a sound diet and exercise program into everyday life.

4. Diabetes-Type 2 diabetes can be prevented. Nearly 24 million people in the U.S. have diabetes according to the American Diabetes Association and one in four people are pre-diabetic and certain to develop it in 10 years if left untreated. According to the American Diabetes Association, the cost of diabetes in the U.S. comes to $132 billion a year and often goes undiagnosed and underreported as a cause of death. Serious symptoms can lead to cardiovascular disease, stroke, blindness, kidney disease, dental diseases, and birth defects and even worsen influenza symptoms and pneumonia. Those with elevated glucose levels can at times reverse the trend by adhering to an exercise and weight-loss program. By consulting with their primary doctor, people can actually mitigate or avoid this deadly disease altogether.

5. Sexually transmitted diseases-All sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS, are preventable. All of them! Using the proper protection will eliminate all these diseases. Considering the information available and the relatively inexpensive way to combat STDs, people still continue to practice unsafe sex. Unsafe sex means you can and will get a very unsafe disease that could be difficult to treat and, in the extreme, fatal.

The vital role of the primary care physician is to help prevent disease from developing in the first place. A regular check-up is one very essential element to real prevention. Dr. Rodriguez says, "We at MDVIP rebel against the typical medical model of just seeing high volumes of patients and practicing illness care every day. In our MDVIP practices, we insist that all patients get a comprehensive annual physical examination with a health risk assessment. From there we provide an individualized wellness plan for each patient. We become partners with our patients to discuss the goals they need to achieve, monitor their health and educate them about diet and exercise. Our appointments do not end until every question is answered."

About MDVIP, Inc.

MDVIP, Inc. was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida. It is a national network of primary care physicians who practice proactive, preventive and personalized healthcare and put the patient first. With prevention as the cornerstone of its program, MDVIP has proven that its carefully chosen affiliated physicians provide exceptional care and achieve exceptional outcomes. These outcomes include lower hospitalization rates which yield significant cost savings to patients, employers and the healthcare system. There are currently over 430 MDVIP-affiliated physicians providing care to over 136,000 patients throughout the country. www.MDVIP.com.

Dr. Jorge Rodriguez is available for interviews.

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